Monday, July 17, 2017

Commentary: Beware the Trojan horse of 'refugee' resettlement

By Joseph Ford Cotto

"It is my view, that the ‘diversity is strength’ line is way
overused, and mostly hogwash .... (W)e should have a debate about who comes to America and how
many, but once they are here (and until there is some sensible reform of the
program), these agencies contracted to resettle the refugees better darn well do
their jobs .... The refugee resettlement program has become a bureaucracy
where agencies, both government and non-profit, need to protect jobs, buy
buildings, expand ‘services,’ and like any other government-funded industry
they have in my opinion forgotten their original mission,” Ann Corcoran, the
outspoken founder of Refugee Resettlement Watch, declared on her hugely popular blog.

I wholeheartedly concur. While long-skeptical of both America’s
refugee 'relief' machine and Uncle Sam's grandiose promises about human rights abroad, something recently reminded me of why it
is essential to stand against our country becoming a doormat for anything and
everything the world has going -- not to mention resisting the idea that America is a global police force.

'Exodus' happened to be on television. Not having
received much sleep the night before, and functionally awake only through the
grace of caffeine, I half-expected to shut my eyes midway through the picture.

It is a long one, after all; with commercials, four hours.
Unless a movie is of superior quality, something with such a running time
rarely appears on the small screen.

Fortunately, I did not nod off, and ended up watching
'Exodus' from beginning to end. What a powerful piece of cinema. It provides
much to think about in our age of refugee rancor; from the no-man's lands of
Syria to the barrios of Cuba, where millions undoubtedly shake with anger over
the cancellation of 'wet foot, dry foot.'

For those who have not seen 'Exodus' or forgot what it is
about, the movie chronicles revolution in British Palestine -- how this
impacted colonial Protestants, recently-arrived Jews, and generations-resident
Muslims. Paul Newman plays the leading role: a Palestinian-born Jewish
nationalist who, though having served in His Majesty's military, becomes
increasingly hostile toward Crown administration in what he yearns to be
globally-recognized as Israel.

Eva Marie Saint portrays an expatriate American nurse who,
while being initially uncomfortable around Holocaust-ravaged Jewish refugees,
comes to identify with their plight; risking her life to assist them in
securing a permanent home in the Holy Land.

The premise of 'Exodus' is based in a World War I-era
promise the British government made: Its Palestinian territory would be
revamped into a haven for Jews the world over. Britain made this assurance amid
a pinch for money and manpower -- things much of European Jewry could well
provide.

These Jews came through for the Crown, but HM's government
soon found itself in another pickle: Muslim Arabs, who generally populated
Palestine and its neighbor states, threw a fit over Jewish immigration. Not
only were these folks rich in number, but their leaders had tons of oil.

An uneasy balance was maintained until large waves of Jews
were displaced by Nazism. The Crown was forced to either own up to its initial
promise or face perpetual domestic terrorism. Ultimately, the Jewish refugees
got their way; meaning not only a Hebraic country, but one ruled sans the Union
Jack.

Palestine's Muslims were outraged and, with the help of
ex-Nazis, many waged a genocidal campaign against area Jews. Warfare between
these groups has continued for generations on end.

Much can be learned from 'Exodus,' specifically by the
American government. First and foremost, never make a promise unless it is
well-devised, with no apparent reason as to why it might grow untenable. Uncle
Sam often preaches high civic ideals while ignoring his broken commitments;
both at home and abroad. In the long run, people you lie to will cry hypocrisy
and distrust you.

On another level, be careful who is accepted as a refugee.
Rather than pledge allegiance to the Crown, scores of Holocaust survivors
joined the Irgun; an anti-colonialist terrorist network so brutal that it won
the IRA's admiration. Just because someone has been through hell does not mean
he or she has zero intention of inflicting it on your homeland. Poor, huddled
masses stepping off a boat one day may be killing machines targeting civilians
the next.

Indeed, the person seeking refuge is not necessarily out to
build a sanctuary. Extreme vetting is an absolute must, even if that means a
greatly diminished refugee resettlement tally. Had the British authorities
taken more care to discern who would be a good fit for Palestine, untold
violence may have been avoided.

Of course, HM's government should never have made a faulty
promise to begin with -- raising hopes which were dashed and channeled into
terrorism. This brings us back to the first lesson of 'Exodus.'

America ought never involve itself in the discontent of our
world, either by making grandiose guarantees to foreigners or claiming the
ill-designed excess baggage of other countries. The United States has more than
enough troubles of its own to address.

Simply put, we need an exodus from the sort of situation
that created an environment for 'Exodus.'

______________________________________________

Joseph Ford Cotto, 1st Baron Cotto, GCCCR is the
editor-in-chief of The San Francisco Review of Books. In the past, he covered
current events and style for The Washington Times's Communities section, where
he interviewed personalities ranging from Fmr. Ambassador John Bolton to Dionne
Warwick. Cotto was also a writer for Blogcritics Magazine and Yahoo's
contributor network, among other publications. In 2014, H.M. King Kigeli V of
Rwanda bestowed a hereditary knighthood upon him, which was followed by a
barony the next year.